Punishments
by IanPeriwinkle
Summary: James has some mental health issues, and finds himself growing angrier and more violent. Len has trouble controlling him, and finds himself put in an awkward position. Rated M for the rogues' potty mouths, and possible violence.
1. Chapter 1

**I got a review****, wanting me to write something with James being punished by Len, James begging to be killed in his sleep, and then coming back and becoming sane. I'm going to attempt it – I hope this is what you wanted.**

**I'm not making this a part of ****_Daddy_****, which is why James will call Len as such. Different universe, peoples. **

**Just a quick warning: This includes spanking, possible character death later on, and possibly some slash (for my own pleasure) – If you don't like; Don't read.**

"James," Len called from the living room, "Come in here, please,"

At fourteen, James was reaching a point in his life where he wanted his own space; He was moody, stroppy and lazy. And Len was sick of it.

The boy didn't emerge.

Growling, Len walked over to his charge's room, and slammed open the door.

"Get your _bloody _ass out here and pick up your mess!"

The snoring teen sat up slowly and gazed at his mentor, "Whazzup?"

"You've left your shit in the living room again, and Digger's fallen over _twice_ this morning," The teenager gave a slightly bored look to Len, before lying back down and turning over.

"Damnit, James!" Len walked over and grabbed the bright pink comforter, pulling it off the blonde, "That's it,"

The older man pulled his pseudo-son out of bed by the foot and dragged him, earning several screams, squeals and kicks.

"This is your own fault," Len said, dropping the boy's leg. The teen was cursing loudly, and Len made a mental note to keep him away from Digger for a while. "Now, I want you to pick up this mess. I'm coming back in an hour, and if it's not done, you're getting it good, kid,"

James scowled, but nodded silently.

An hour later Len returned. While there were still some small pieces lying around, overall James had cleaned up quite well.

Strangely, though, the boy seemed to have disappeared.

"James?" The older rogue called, heading for the kitchen, "James, are you here?"

"Daddy," A mumble came from the bathroom door. James peeked his head around and gazed at Len.

Len sighed in relief and walked over to the blonde.

"James, what's up? You didn't finish cleaning,"

"I'm sorry, Daddy,"

Len sighed, and put his hand on the teen's shoulder. "I know you are, kiddo, but I _did _say that I would have to punish you,"

The boy squirmed and tears came to his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy!" James was slightly panicking now. He was about to finish cleaning when he started to feel sick, "I'm so sorry! I'll finish it right now, _please_,"

His pleas were heard, but not acknowledged, as Len led him by the hand to his bedroom.

"I'm sorry, James. I know you tried hard to get everything clean, but this wouldn't be happening if you'd cleaned up earlier," Len spoke softly to the boy, while taking down his pants and underwear, and pulling his charge over his lap, "I'm only going to make this a light spanking, because you cleaned up most of the mess,"

James squirmed again, and the tears started falling.

"Daddy," He whispered softly, finally stilling.

Len closed his eye in a slight grimace. It always pained him to have to punish his family – Whether it be for drugs, misbehaving, or just being lazy.

He raised his hand and brought it down.

_Smack_, the sound echoed in the small room.

James yelped loudly, "Daddy!" He screamed, once more squirming.

"Stop moving, squirt,"

"I-I-I'm s-sorry," The boy stuttered as he sobbed, the tears now streaming down his face.

Again, Len brought his hand down, and gave three consecutive smacks.

"There, baby," Len crooned, placing a cheek on the boy's head, "That's four down. Only ten more to go, 'kay?"

"Mm-hmm," James nodded, and closed his eyes.

Len's hand came down four times, each getting slightly lighter, but faster than the one before.

Howling in pain, James attempted to bring his hands up to protect his rear.

"No," Len scolded, taking the boy's hands and pushing them away, "Bad boy,"

James continued to sob, and Len, wanting to get the punishment over with, brought his hand down three more times.

"Okay, baby," He whispered, kissing the boy once more, "We got three more to go, now. Can you be brave for Daddy? It's just _three _more,"

The boy was too hysterical to respond.

Sighing, Len raised his hand and brought it down three more times, and then hurried to pick James up and hold him tight.

"Okay," He crooned, rocking the blonde back and forth, "It's okay. You were such a good boy for Daddy,"

James hiccoughed, and sobbed into Len's shoulder. The older man could feel the material getting wet, but didn't pay it any mind.

"Ssh,"

"D-d-da-Daddy," The boy sobbed, clutching as close as he could to his paternal figure.

"Okay, baby," Len whispered into James' ear, "Okay. Just cry, 'kay, hun?"

And cry he did. For the next half hour, Len tried to calm James down, at least to the point of taking a nap.

"I have to go now, James," Len crooned to the boy, pulling at his hands until they let go. James looked up at Len with reproachful eyes, before deciding that he was too tired to fight. Len lay the boy down, and walked out of the room. Before he left, he heard the boy snoring.

Len smiled, and walked out to the kitchen.

Mark, Mick and Digger all sat around the table, playing poker; Poker of the strip variety.

"Guys," He moaned, covering his eyes, "I thought we agreed not to play strip poker again,"

"Quit yer whinin', mate," Digger laughed from one end. He seemed to be losing. Not only losing, but very, very drunk. "Where you been, anyway?"

"Trying to calm down Tricks,"

"Why?" Piper piped (excuse the pun) up from behind a kitchen counter.

Len sighed, not sure how to explain to James' best friend that he'd just had to whack him.

"James was being… tedious," He looked around. Everyone had stopped – James was not only his, but their baby, and whatever was bothering him, they'd want to know. "I had to spank him earlier, and only just now got him to calm down,"

Piper looked contemplative.

"Can I go see him?"

"No," Len walked over to the red-haired boy, "He's asleep right now. You may have to find someone else to hang out with today,"

"'Kay," Hartley is quite nonchalant about it. He'd wanted to go and get a new CD, anyway.

Len can feel the glared he's getting from the other adults in the room.

"Hey, Pipes," The boy looked up questioningly, "Can you go to the living room? Grownup-talk time,"

Piper shrugged and walked out of the room.

"Okay," Len sighed, turning to face his friends, "Let me ex –"

"What the _fuck_?" Mark yelled, grabbing the front of Len's shirt.

"Yeah, mate," Boomer had sobered up, and walked around the table to confront the man, "The kid may be a little shit, but ya didn't need t' hit him!"

"Guys," Len gasped. Mark let him go reluctantly, but all three men stared at Len expectantly. "He's a good kid; I know that, you know that. But he needs some discipline! If he doesn't get it, he won't know what's coming to him out in the real world,"

The three looked slightly startled, but accepted the reasoning.

"That's true," Mick said, and then, laughing, added; "If he doesn't get it now, he'll get _burned_ later on,"

Everyone in the room (other than Mick, who was cackling) groaned at the terrible pun.

The subject was dropped, but James, lying in his bedroom, was turning gears.

**I'll leave it here for now – Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukah, or just a Happy Holiday to you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The last chapter was a lot of fun to write! This… may get a bit dark, but I've decided to also have a little side-story. **

**Either way, I hope that you enjoy this.**

**Cheers!**

James' eyes darkened as he looked himself over in the mirror.

His hair was too shaggy; Cut in a way that didn't suit him.

His eyes were too big, and too awkwardly placed.

His face was too short, everything squished up together.

He was ugly.

Shrieking, he threw his electric toothbrush into the mirror, sank down into a crouching position on the floor and sobbed.

Len, meanwhile, was frantic. He pounded at the door desperately.

"James!" He called, "James!"

"Go away," A broken sob can be heard from inside the room.

"James, please," Len was shaking now, "Please, baby, tell me what happened,"

"No!"

"Honey, please," The older man begged.

Mark had called the Flash a short while ago, but so far there was no sign of the scarlet speedster.

"Len," Mark's voice was hollow, "I don't think he's gunna show up. We have to call the cops, or his psychiatrist, or _somebody_,"

"Okay, okay," Len pants, turning to face his friend, "Go and get Baby Flash. You should be able to get into Mount Justice, right?"

"I'll see what I can do,"

And with that, Mirror Master left, leaving Len alone with his pseudo-son.

"Wally, you have to promise _never_," Robin emphasised the word by making an 'X' with his arms, "_Never_ tell anyone. Okay?"

Wally and Dick sat together in a small closet in Mount Justice. They were sitting on upturned buckets, and it was slightly uncomfortable, but with what his best friend had just told him, Wally figured it was for the best.

"So… you're sure?"

"Yep,"

"Okay," Wally was shocked, to say the least. He brushed back his hair with his fingers, "That's – That's cool,"

Robin smiled slightly. "Thanks, man," He said, "I really needed to tell somebody, y'know?"

"Yeah… Yeah,"

"So, um –"

The dark-haired boy was cut off by an alarm going off.

"Somebody's invaded the tower!" He shouted, and ran out of the closet.

Wally was a bit too stunned to do anything. He followed after his friend, and stopped short when he saw who had been apprehended.

"Uncle Mark!" He cried, running up to his rogue, "But what are you doing here?"

"I came to get _you_," He says, struggling against Superboy's hold, "But these guys wouldn't let me explain what happened,"

"Kon, let him go," Wally ordered, giving the clone a stern look.

Connor looked stunned and slightly hurt for a moment before letting go of the older man.

"What's up?"

"Trickster's in trouble," Mark replied breathlessly, "He's locked himself in the bathroom – He's crying, and he's all alone in there with a broken mirror, and so _I _can't get in, and we don't know what to –"

"And you need me, why?"

"You're one of the only people he likes outside of family,"

"So?"

"So, he thinks the rest of us feel obligated to help him,"

"Oh," Realisation dawned on the red-head, "He'll listen to me because he actuall believes that I _like _him,"

"That's what I fuckin' said, innit?"

"Fuckin'?" Connor asked, looking slightly confused.

"I'll explain it to you later, bud," Wally deadpanned, and pushed Mirror Master towards the nearest reflective surface, "Come on, Uncle Mark – We have to hurry,"

"Okay, okay,"

After arriving at the rogues' house, Wally wasted no time in rushing to the bathroom, outside of which Len sat sobbing.

"Uncle Len," Wally asked, leaning down to look at the man, "What happened?"

"I don't – I-I I don –" Len was stuttering to the point that he probably wouldn't make sense, even if he could finish a sentence.

Wally let out a sigh, and stood up, knocking on the bathroom door three times.

"James? You in there?"

An affirmative grunt.

"Listen, buddy, it's Wally," The red-head could hear his friends shuffling around, "I know you're angry and upset, but can you just come out? We can talk –"

"No!" James shouted, "We can't _talk_. This problem isn't about to go away! I've always been stuck with it, and I always will,"

"What problem?" Wally had been learning from Black Canary – If somebody mentioned something, you had to catch onto it quickly.

James was slightly affronted by the follow-up question.

"Why does it matter? We're all going to die at some point," The blonde boy laughed hysterically, "I may as well just die now!"

"James," Len gasped, tears finally making their way down his face, "Baby,"

"Shut the _fuck_ up, Len," James sneers, punching the door, "You wouldn't care what happened, anyway. In fact, you'd probably be the one to _do _it!"

Len couldn't take it anymore. He ran out of the house before anyone could catch him.

"James," Mark said in a hollow voice. He was desperately trying not to cry. It was hard enough not having the other adult rogues around to help, but for the baby of their family to say something like that, something must have been terribly wrong. "How could you think that? Len loves you. Mick loves you. Even _Digger _loves you. We're a family,"

"Some family," The boy scoffed, "We're a bunch of crazies – Rejects. Nobody wants us; That's the entire reason we stay together. Nothing more, nothing less,"

Wally had had enough. He quickly vibrated against the door-handle, breaking the lock. The scene in the bathroom was horrifying.

**What an evil little witch I am…**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am enjoying this… ****_way _****too much. **

**Poor James is going to go a bit psycho, so I warn you… If you don't think you can take our sweet little Trickster being hurt, you should probably turn away.**

**Can anyone guess the side-story? It's been hanging around in my mind for a few days, but I haven't had the patience to work on it until now.**

**Sandra Harkness is an OC, loosely based on Jack Harkness from ****_Torchwood_****. If you don't know ****_Torchwood_****, look it up: It will change your life.**

_Wally had had enough. He quickly vibrated against the door-handle, breaking the lock. The scene in the bathroom was horrifying._

"James," Wally whispered, looking at his friend.

Mark gaped, before rushing in and flinging his arms around the blonde boy.

The sight was terrible; The blonde boy stood, being hugged by a man he considered as an uncle, on a floor covered in broken glass. Shards stuck out of his feet where he'd stepped on them, and one particularly sharp piece, gripped tightly by James, had been used to cut both his wrists and face.

"James," Mark sobbed, picking the blonde up and carrying him out of the bathroom, "Oh, James,"

James scowled, and bit Mark.

The older man yelped, and looked at the boy in his arms with shock.

"Put me down, Mark," James deadpanned, giving the older man a dark glare.

When Mark didn't do as he was asked, James lashed out with the piece of glass still in his hand. A moment of shocked silence filled the room, before James started screaming again.

He cowered in fear, pushing himself away from Mark, who now had a gash down one side of his face.

"Daddy," He whimpered, huddling into a ball, "Sorry, Daddy,"

The man, unfazed by the wound he had been given, reached over and picked up the now crying boy.

"James," He whispered into the blonde's ear, "James, we're going to get you some help now. Okay?"

James shook, and tried to pull himself away to no avail. Mark turned to Wally.

"Little Flash, y'mind racing after Len? Someone needs to take the kid to hospital. I can't do it in this," He gestured to his outfit, "And I don't mean to insult you, but I don't want to leave James alone with you right now. Besides, the kid wants Len,"

Wally nodded, still slightly shell-shocked, and ran after Len.

Len had run as fast as he could, and now had no idea where he was. He slumped against a nearby wall, trying to catch his breath.

"Shit," He swore to himself. His baby was hurting, and there was nothing he could do to help, "Shit,"

He felt a sudden change in the wind and groaned.

"Whatta ya want, Flasher?"

"One of your lot took Wall earlier. I can't reach him – You know what's up?"

Len gave the red-clad man a sarcastic smile before sighing and rubbing his temples.

"Honestly, I don't understand it myself,"

"Well, d'you know where –"

The youngest speedster ran up behind them suddenly.

"UncleLenUncleMarkneedsyoutoc omehomewegotJamesoutandnowhe wantsyouandheshurtand –"

"Slow down, kid," Len growled, "I can't understand your speed-talk,"

"But I can," Barry's face was solemn, "Len, get back home _now_,"

He turned to face Wally, "You need to get back to training, and I'm going to go keep an eye on everything, 'kay?"

"Yes, sir,"

Wally sped back to Mount Justice, while Barry and Len hurried back to the apartment.

Entering the apartment, Len felt relieved to see his child outside of the bathroom. It didn't matter to him as much that the boy was hurt, as that he wasn't locked up anymore.

"James," He cried, feeling fresh tears stream down his face, "Baby,"

The man pulled his pseudo-son from his friend, and held the boy close, rocking him from side-to-side, and telling him that everything would be alright.

"Daddy," The teenager mumbled into Len's shoulder, and within a minute he'd fallen asleep.

Len turned to his friend, painfully aware that the boy on his hip could wake up any moment.

"Mark," He whispered, "What the fuck happened?"

"I dunno," Mark replied, "He was freaking out, so Baby Flash vibrated the door handle off and he was just standing there… bleeding. I went in and grabbed him, but he cut my face, then started freaking out and crying for you!"

Barry looked stunned, and anxiously glanced at the boy.

"We need to get him to Sandra," Mark insisted, "She'll know what to do,"

"Oh, Sweetie," Len mumbled, placing a kiss to James' head, "What'll we do with you?"

A bit less than an hour later, Mark and Len found themselves in the waiting room of Sandra Harkness.

James hadn't stirred so far, but made slight whining noises every so often which scared the hell out of Len.

"It's okay, baby boy," Len whispered, rocking James back and forth slowly. He'd been trying to stop the whimpers to no avail.

Mark Mardon sighed, and reached out his hand to pat the hair of the child. "It's okay, squirt,"

Mark's gash had been sewn up quickly by the Flash, who had then left to go back to his nephew and tell him what was happening.

"Snart!" A woman appears at the doorway. It's Sandra; She's been James' psychiatrist for six years now – Since Len first got him, "What's happened?"

"We don't really –"

She cut him off, running over to them with a frantic expression.

"What happened to your face?"

"James, er –"

Sandra glared at Mark, "James _what_?"

"He cut me with a piece of a broken mirror,"

"How did the mirror break?"

"He smashed it,"

The woman tutted, and then motioned for the two men to follow her. They did, and soon the four people were seated in a small office, which had been brightened considerably.

Sandra was a psychiatrist who specialised in children, or people with childish tendencies.

"What happened? Tell me everything you know,"

Len was the first to speak, albeit quietly.

"This morning, something was different. I woke up at about the same time, and went to get James so that he could have his meds, but he wasn't in his room,

"I went to check the kitchen. Sometimes he's already up, see? But he wasn't there, either. I checked in all of the common rooms, and in everyone else's bedrooms, but he wasn't in any of those,

"And then I checked the bathroom –"

"And that's when everything went to shit," Mark added, rolling his neck around.

Sandra pursed her lips. "'Went to shit'?"

"Yup," Mark looked Sandra dead in the eye.

"You see, at the same time as Len was searching for James, I'd managed to find him,

"I was trying to get into the bathroom to shower, and the kid had locked himself in. I could hear him in there, talking to himself – He sounded different, though. He wasn't happy, like he usually is. He sounded really creepy!

"And then there was a smash from inside – I think that was the mirror breaking. Because of that, I couldn't get in –"

"And you didn't try to get in earlier?"

"Hey," Mark shrugged, "He's may be a kid, but even kids need their privacy,"

"True," Sandra smirks, "In fact, I think that's something _I _told _Len _a few years ago,"

Len, who had been listening quietly, chuckled a bit.

James whimpered at the sudden movement, and Len looked down at the boy he'd come to think of as a son.

"Sometimes, I really wish I knew what was going on in there," He sighed wistfully, placing another kiss to the boy's brow.

"Stop kissing him, Len," Mark laughed, "You'll make him gayer than Piper!"

"Fuck off," Growled Len, but honestly he was happy to have somebody joking around.

"Would you mind continuing?" Sandra asked, exasperated.

"Uh, sure,

"Well, when I heard the mirror smash, I yelled for Len. Nobody else was home, so it wasn't like another of the guys would come to help,

"So Len came running, and I told him what I'd heard, and he started freaking out and shit, and then James screamed for a little bit, so we started yelling at him to come out,

"Then the kid starts yelling back at us, stuff like 'I don't want to come out' and all that crap –"

"About half an hour later, I sent Mark to go and get Flash," Len interrupted. He knew that Mark would have gone on and on, and wanted to get this meeting over with. Luckily, Sandra knew all about their exploits as rogues.

Sandra nodded. "You went to him for help,"

"Yeah, but he never came! Or at least, not until it was too late,

"We tried again for a little bit, but he wouldn't come out, so Mardon went to Mount Justice and got Baby Flash, 'cause James is pretty good friends with the kid –"

"Why are you talking about me?"

Len looked down, only to see two very bright, very _aware_ blue eyes, watching him with fascination and a little contempt.

"Well, I'm waiting,"

**Aaaand, another cliff-hanger. What does James think about his psychiatrist and parental figures talking? And why all the angst?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Let's get into this! I know what I'm doing, at least for the next two or so chapters, so I'll pump this one out, and then go to sleep.**

"James,"

The boy turned his gaze over to Sandra.

"Hey, Sandra," James said, quickly dismissing her and turning back to Len, "So, what happened? Why am I here?"

"Well –"

"Actually," Sandra smiled, "We were just getting to that,"

Len looked at the woman angrily.

"Will you please continue?"

"Fine," He growled, letting James get up from his lap.

"Well, after Mardon brought Baby Flash back, we talked for a bit, and James said that we all hated him. He even said," Len had to stop for a second to recompose himself, "That _I _would like to kill him,

"And that's when Little Flasher got tired of it. He broke open the door by vibrating it, and James came out, and then –"

"And then James turned into a psychopath," Mark supplied, losing his patience, "Jesus, this is stupid. After we got him out – Len wasn't even there – I carried the kid out of the bathroom. He _cut me with glass_ and then freaked the fuck out! End of story,"

The room is left in a shocked silence for a few moments, and James' deflated voice suddenly rings out.

"Daddy?" He asks, fixing wide, watery eyes on Len.

Len stood and walked over to where James had settled himself. Reaching down to envelop the boy in a hug, Len whispers in the boy's ear; "You don't remember any of this, do you?"

"No, Daddy," James sobs into the shoulder of his pseudo-father, "I don't know what happened,"

"James," Sandra said softly, "You're a good boy, okay? I need you to understand that, but I think something may be very wrong with you,"

James sobbed and buried himself further into Len's embrace.

Where he buried his teeth into the man's chest.

"Fuck!" Len screeched, jumping away from the blonde, "What the _fuck_, kid?"

The boy growled, and tried to rip Len's flesh out with his teeth, but was quickly grabbed from behind by Mark. Sandra called for one of the nurses to bring her a sedative.

"James," She yells, running over to the struggling teen, "James, calm down. James?"

The boy didn't appear to hear them; He thrashed wildly, kicking and punching at everything around him.

He lashed out and kicked Sandra's face, knocking her out and smashing her glasses.

She fell to the floor in a slump, and Mark roared violently.

"James!" He shouted, pulling the boy to the ground and locking his legs around kicking legs, "Why are you acting like this?"

"James," Len whispered. The boy had stilled, but was scowling at the ceiling, and occasionally giving a violent jerk, "James, what's happened?"

A nurse ran through the door, rushing over to the group and giving James the sedative before tending to Sandra.

James was admitted to an institution that evening.

**A short chapter, I know, but the next one should be longer. Be prepared for ****_feels_****.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm getting ready to write something quite ****_feely_****. I haven't ever written anything like this before, and it slightly scares me. **

**This chapter really starts expanding on the side-story. It actually started earlier, but this'll bring it into the spotlight.**

**To those reading this, I don't want to beg, but I'd appreciate a review to tell me how this is to read; I would appreciate knowing whether people enjoy this or whether it can be improved (Stories can ****_always _****be improved)**

**Anyway, enjoy.**

It had been six months. Six long months, and Piper was finally getting his friend back.

The red-haired boy bounced anxiously in his seat, occasionally being told to 'knock it off' by Digger. The rogues (or most of them) all sat in the pure white waiting room; They had kept out of jail, just so that they could be there.

James' release.

The blonde boy stepped into the room, his hair now slightly lanky, and his skin pale and dry. None of his family cared, though – Mark ran up to him and wrapped his arms around the teen.

"Glad you're back, squirt," He whispered, squeezing the boy before letting him go to be hoarded by the others.

"Good on ya, mate,"

"It's good to have you back,"

"We've missed you, buddy,"

Suddenly surrounded by his loved ones, James smiled and hugged each of them in turn, but when he counted everyone, he was confused.

"Where's Len?" He asked, turning to Mark.

"Kid, uh," Mark looked quite sheepish, rubbing the back of his head, "You probably won't be able to see Len for a little while,"

"Why?" James was slightly hurt; He'd expected Len of all people to be there for him, "Is he in jail again?"

"No, kiddo, I think," The man paused for a moment, thinking of an easy way to excuse Len's presence, "I think he just needs a little time,"

"Time for what?"

"We're figuring that out, mate," Digger broke in, putting his hand on James' shoulder. He gave it a little squeeze, "Let's go get some ice-cream before heading home, eh?"

The boy nodded reluctantly.

"Can I get Vanilla-Cherry?"

"Of course," The Australian laughed, ruffling James' hair before taking the boy's hand and walking him out of the building.

Piper laughed openly at his friend, whose nose now had a large dollop of ice-cream sitting on its end.

"James," He giggled, clutching his sides, "That-th-that looks s-so," Piper couldn't help it; He broke out into hysterical laughter.

"I think the sugar's got to 'im," Digger muttered to Mick, who had refused the ice-cream and had bought a waffle.

The pyromaniac nodded his agreement.

"Hartley," The Australian reached over and patted the teen's shoulder to get his attention, "We're gunna head back t' the apartment. You coming with us, or going back to your 'rents?"

"I'm going to stick with you guys today," Hartley sobered up a little at the mention of his parents, "My parents aren't too happy with me right now,"

Mark clucked sympathetically, putting his arm around the boy, "It's okay, kid. We'll take you in if you ever need it,"

Over the past few months, Hartley had stayed with the rogues more nights than he ever had before; He had come out as being gay, and his parents weren't impressed.

"I know," Piper smiled, and hugged the older man.

The atmosphere in Mount Justice had become very tense over the past six months. After Robin had come out as gay to Kid Flash, he had broken up with Zatanna, causing a rift in the team.

Of course, Robin being Robin, he had stayed friends with his now-ex. The rift was between Zatanna and Wally. She blamed him for 'turning' Robin gay, and that placed Wally in an awkward situation.

His girlfriend had questioned him ruthlessly, before ignoring him, and then, when they finally got back together, she was less than impressed.

It had taken Wally three weeks before she allowed him to kiss her.

Almost a month before they made out again.

But now, Wally and Artemis' relationship was great. They were cuddling on the couch, watching the _Dawn of the Dead _remake, when Robin walked in.

"Wally, dude, can I talk to you for a bit?"

The boy fidgeted nervously; Wally was constantly having to remind himself that Dick was several years younger than him, but in that moment he looked very young, and _very _scared.

"Sure," The red-head said, inviting Robin to join them.

"Um," Again, the dark-haired boy fidgeted nervously, "Could we talk _in private_?"

Wally stood and kissed Artemis' cheek, "I'll be right back, babe,"

The two friends walked side-by-side, arriving at Robin's bedroom.

"What did you want to talk about, bud?"

Robin was suddenly silent, playing with his hands.

"I wanted," He whispered, "I wanted to ask you a favour,"

"Anything,"

"Um," Robin looked down to the ground and mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that, shorty?"

"Could you help set me up with someone?"

The older teen was taken aback. He'd been asked to do a great many things in his lifetime, but setting someone up? He had a hard enough time getting his own dates; Let alone setting up others!

He was thinking of refusing, but not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings, he ended up saying: "Sure, bud. Got any particular type?"

After hearing a run-down of what his friend liked in a guy (Scarily, it sounded a lot like Wally), the boy thought of who he knew. Only one person, other than himself, came to mind: Hartley.

James was having a hard time feeling comfortable in the apartment. He shouldn't have; He'd lived there since he was eight, but he couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. The absence of Len was affecting him greatly, and Digger had noticed.

The older man stepped into the James' room, bringing the boy out from his thoughts.

"Hey, mate," He whispered softly, walking over to the bed and sitting next to the boy, "How're you feeling?"

James couldn't hide his feelings from his friend, "Lousy,"

"Is it 'cause of Len?"

"Mm-hmm," James brought a hand up to rub his eye, "I really wanted to see him," He choked, and tears started streaming down his face.

"Aw, squirt, don't cry," Digger rubbed large circles on the boy's back. He wasn't quite prepared to hold the boy in his lap, "Len'll come 'round. You'll see,"

If only he could be sure of that.

"I just want my Daddy back," James sobbed, burying himself in Digger's chest.

"I know, squirt," Digger whispered, and holding the boy sideways, rocked him backwards and forwards.

After a few minutes, Digger felt the boy's body become heavier, and slowly laid James down. Covering the kid up with a bright orange comforter, he kissed the kid on the forehead, and left the room.

Entering the living room, the Australian was a little more than surprised to see Baby Flash in the corner, talking frantically with Piper.

"What's up, kids?" He asked, shooting a glance between the two teenagers huddled on one beanbag and Mick, who was playing with a lighter.

Piper shot the man a dirty glare, and turned back to the hero beside him.

"You want me to _what_?" Piper hissed, after pulling Wally away from the other inhabitants of the house.

"I just asked if you wouldn't mind going on a date with Robin? You're gay, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Moaned the rogue, "But that doesn't mean I'll go on a date with just any guy! Besides, you didn't even ask me if I already have a boyfriend!"

"Jeez, sorry," Wally rolled his eyes at his friend's dramatics, "So _do _you have a boyfriend?"

"No," Piper admitted, rubbing his arm sheepishly.

"How do you feel about going on a date with a black-haired kid, who's a couple years younger than us, but is really mature and smart?"

"Um," Piper found himself blushing, "Well, I _do _have a lot of spare time,"

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"Okay," The older teen sighed, grabbing out a pen and paper. He scribbled something down and handed the slip to Wally, "Tell him to call me,"

"Got it,"

**Well… The story is developing! Len should appear in the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this one!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is going to end up being, like, my longest story. Already up to chapter six! So… Enjoy!**

**Piper and Dick is becoming a kind of obsession for me – They make such a cute couple! We need more of this pairing. In fact, they need to have this in the comics – It's a pity that they stopped that series in favour of the reboot. I'm not a big fan of the New 52 Flash. **

You wouldn't say that Leonard Snart was a particularly intelligent man, but you wouldn't exactly call him 'dumb', either. And not only because if he heard you, he would give you a fairly nasty black eye.

This being said, he was not a good man to speak down to – Particularly when drunk.

Shot after shot, Len drank – The barkeep was about to step in when Len decided that he'd finally had enough.

"Cheers, Jack,"

"See you round, Len,"

The drunken man made his way through the streets. The air was cool, and he soon found himself approaching the apartment that he shared with his colleagues.

He refused to think of the boy.

Being drunk helped with that.

"Len," Digger scoffed as the man walked through the front door, "Where the bloody hell have you been? No, let me guess; The pub?"

"What of it?"

"Your kid wanted you,"

"He's not my kid," Len's voice was a dark snarl as he turned to glare at his friend, "He never was, and he never fucking will be,"

"Len,"

"Leave it, Digger,"

The two men nodded at each-other, but while Len disappeared into his own room, Digger went back into James'.

"Hey, squirt," He whispered, tapping the boy's shoulder, "Hey,"

"Mm?" James opened one eye and wearily fixed his gaze on Digger, "Dinner?"

"You missed dinner, buddy, but someone's come home,"

"Mm?"

"Your Daddy's in his room if you want to go see him,"

"Daddy?" James perked up and jumped out of bed.

He started for the door, but was stopped by Digger.

"You should probably wait until morning," He sighed, wincing at the boy's expression, "He's very drunk right now, and we don't want him to get grumpy, do we?"

"Mm," James shifted uncomfortably.

"I know, Mate. It's very sad, but your Daddy still loves you – It'll just be better if he's less grumpy,"

"M'kay," The boy's voice was broken, and Digger felt a pang of guilt.

"Go back to sleep, kiddo. See you in the morning,"

"Yes, sir,"

"Good boy,"

The next morning, it took James a while to remember where he was. He sat and looked around, before slipping out of bed and silently padding into the kitchen.

But, when he arrived, he couldn't go in; Len sat at the counter nursing a large glass of orange juice.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched his would-be father.

"What are you doing?" The man asked, causing James to jump in shock, "Don't just stand out there. If you need food, come get it,"

James slowly walked into the kitchen, never taking his eyes off the older man. Len was visibly upset at the presence of the teen. Len glared darkly at James before turning back to his glass. James could now see the large bottle of brandy sitting next to the man.

"Daddy, I –"

"Shut up,"

James was shocked, "Huh?"

"Shut. The fuck. Up,"

Whimpering, James fled from the room and smacked straight into Digger's chest.

"Hey, Mate," The Australian crooned, wrapping his arms around the blonde boy, "What's with all the tears?"

"Daddy," The boy hiccoughed, burying himself in the man's embrace, "Daddy hates me,"

"No. Your Daddy could never hate you, squirt,"

"B-b-but he does," James wailed, sobbing into Digger's chest, "H-h-he yelled at-at-at me,"

"Aw, squirt, he's yelled at you before, hasn't he?" James nodded, looking tearfully into Digger's eyes, "And he loved you then, didn't he?" Again, the boy nodded, "Well, that's the same as this, right?"

"I guess so,"

"Okay, then. Want me to go into the kitchen with you?"

"Mm-hmm,"

"Let's go," Digger playfully ruffled James' hair, being careful not to let the boy see the dark look that crossed his face.

The two walked into the kitchen, and James, after shooting a hopeful look to Len, which was ignored, went to make himself some cereal. Digger watched the boy go and turned to glare at Len.

"We need to talk, Snart,"

"Mind your own business,"

"I've known that kid since he was _nine years old_," The Australian hissed, "I think it _is _my own damn business,"

Len scoffed and took another sip of his spiked juice, "Why? He's 'my' kid, isn't he?"

"Fuck you, Len,"

James had chosen to listen in, and was starting to regret it. Tears filled his eyes and he looked at the floor.

"James," Digger whispered, coming up behind the boy, "You need to take your meds, right?"

"Mm-hmm,"

"Okay. Let's get those over and done with – I think you and Len need to have a talk,"

"Okay," James whispered, "But will you stay?"

"This has to be something between you and Len. If you feel like he's going to hurt you, though – Or if you're really scared of being all alone with him once you've started, you can always call for me,"

James mumbled quietly and pulled Digger into a hug before turning to Len. He remained silent.

Digger left the room, but remained nearby.

The two left stared at each-other in silence for several minutes before Len finally spoke up, "You're back," He slurred, sipping from his glass.

The boy nodded, chancing a look at his guardian. When he saw that the man was glowering darkly, however, he looked back down and tried desperately to hide his broken sob.

"Don't give me that, you fucking wuss!" The man roared, throwing his glass at the wall, "You _fucking _dick! You're the one who told me you hated me – You told _everyone _you hated them. You _fucking _idiot! I took you in, and that's how you repay me? I ought to –"

"Len!" Digger burst through the door and grabbed the older man, who was making advances to the young boy.

"I-I-I'm sorry," James choked, backing up from the two adults, "I'm sorry,"

"You think that makes it better!? You fucking –"

"Len! Shut the fuck up, mate," Digger slammed his friend to the floor, "He was depressed, Len,"

"I don't fucking care," Len was crying, angry tears streaming down his face, "He said he hated me,"

Digger was trapped – He had two hysterical people that he cared deeply for; One was his best friend who'd lost his 'son' for six months, and the other was the 'son', faced with a father-figure who was attacking him for a mental illness. He may be stupid, but Digger still knew who to look after.

But before he could do anything, a broken plea escaped the teen.

"Daddy, please," He sobbed, "I'll be good, I promise. I-I-I'll do anything! I'll even let you –"

"James," Digger whispered, "James, you don't have to do anything,"

"But I do! Please, Daddy. I'll even let you –" He took a deep breath in, "I'll even let you _kill _me,"

Len let out a dark chuckle, "Is that so?"

**This'll be the end of this chapter. Anyway; I'm finishing this off (and starting the next chapter) on spiked instant apple cider. It's beautiful.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Las Vegas, I have decided, is one of the most wonderful places that I have ever been. This includes places like Shibuya, Harajuku, the Bahamas, Surfer's Paradise and the Isle of Pines. I have bought a beautiful Lolita shirt that ****_actually _****suits and fits me, as well as some of the ****_Daddy'$ Money Hidden Wedges_**** from ****_Skechers_****. **

**At the time of writing this, however, I have not yet been to a comic shop in Vegas. I'm not going to be able to do that until Thursday, so first I'll have a chance to go to a show. Unfortunately, I couldn't go clubbing on New Years' Eve, so instead I got drunk on rum with my grandparents and mother.**

**On with the story; My gosh, I'm excited for the rest of this.**

Digger sat in the living room with Ray, Mark and Mick, as they held a solemn conversation over what occurred earlier. James and Piper had gone off with Wally to do who-knows-what, and Len was drinking.

Nobody understood what had happened; James was supposed to be cured, and here he was, asking Len to kill him?

"We have to take him back," Mark slammed his fist on the table angrily, "He's still sick! I mean, I love the kid, but he can't just go around doing things like that,"

"I agree with Mark," Ray, who was concentrating very hard on sketching something, hadn't contributed to the conversation very much.

"Of course you do," Mick laughed, playing with a small lighter, "Everyone knows you and Mark are having some sort of twisted, gay relationship,"

"Fuck you," Mark yelled, smacking the back of Mick's head.

"Quiet, ladies," Yelled Digger, bringing everybody's attention back to him, "And Mick, we don't insult gays in this house. Not since Piper came out; You know he doesn't like it,"

"Well, _Hartley _isn't here, is he?"

"That's not the point, Mate,"

"Get off your high-bloody-horse, Boomer – You're no better than the rest of us,"

"Shut up," Digger let his head drop back, "Anyway; We need to do _something_. I don't want James and Len in the same house together overnight. They can't be alone together,"

The men all turned sober after their short spat of playfulness. They nodded their heads in affirmation, and Digger continued.

"If we leave Len and James alone, I'm afraid James will end up,"

"Dead,"

Everyone turned to look at the doorway where Piper had just walked in, luckily not followed by James.

"How much do you know?"

"Enough,"

Digger sighed wearily, "Sit down with us, Piper," He patted the seat next to him, "We need to figure this out,"

"What's happened?"

Surprised at Piper's professional attitude, Digger stared at the teen for a moment – Not missing the small bruise on the boy's neck – Before answering.

"James has… erm… _declared_ that Len is allowed to kill him –"

"What!?"

"Let me finish, kid," Digger shushed Piper, "He said that Len could kill him, in exchange for being able to stay here,"

"But this is James' home!"

"I know that, and you know that, but I don't know if James understands that,"

"But-b-but he's lived here for years!"

Piper was flustered with rage. His face had gone bright red, and everyone in the room was staring at the boy.

"Calm down, Pi –"

"Calm down? How can you expect me to be calm!?"

"By taking a deep breath in, and shutting up for a minute,"

Piper pouted and crossed his arms, but stayed quiet while Digger continued.

"Anyway," He sighed, "We have to get James out of the apartment. I don't know where he should go, but –"

"How about," Piper interrupted, sitting up quickly, "How about James and I move in with Wally for a bit?"

"I dunno, Pipes,"

"But they've looked after us before!"

"Piper," The Australian moaned, "We don't exactly have the _best _relationship with the Flash at the moment,"

"And? We never have, and probably never will,"

"Fine. But you're going to be the one to call them,"

"That's fine –"

"Where _is _James, anyway?" Mick asked.

Piper looked startled for a moment, before answering, "He's with Wally and the sidekick-team,"

"Let me get this straight," Digger was enraged, glaring darkly at the musician, "You left James – A mentally ill rogue – With a team of _capes_!?"

"Um," The boy looked ashamed, "Yes?" He answered meekly, peeking up at the Australian who now seemed to be towering above him.

"You're an idiot, Piper. Go and call Flasher – I'm going to go get James,"

The Australian and musician both stood and left, leaving their team-mates behind, looking very confused.

"Hello," Iris West-Allen's voice greeted Hartley, This is the West-Allen household. Who's calling?"

"Hi Iris,"

"Who is this?"

Piper smiled gleefully, "It's Hartley,"

The boy could hear his friend's aunt sighing on the end of the line, "What do you want, Hartley?"

"Um, I was wondering if James and I could stay with you,"

"How long?"

"I dunno, but James is in a lot of trouble, and he can't stay home,"

"But I thought he only just got back?" Iris was confused. She'd heard about the situation from both Barry and Wally, and was under the impression that the young teenager was to be reunited with his 'family' again.

"He did, but Uncle Len isn't very happy about it, and…"

"Fine. Just… be here before eight, okay?"

"Thank you, Iris!"

Piper hung up quickly before racing to his room.

"You didn't have to tie me up," Digger growled at the young heroes before him. James sat in a chair watching intently, while Wally sat next to him.

"What are you doing here?" Aqualad asked, stepping in front of Digger and blocking the man's view.

The Australian glared up at the teenager, "I am _trying _to pick up the kid and get him home before his Dad gets back,"

Wally looked up, startled, "Guys, we gotta let them go,"

"Why?" Connor growled, "So they can go and break the law again?"

"No,"

Wally was angry, and his friends looked startled. Even Digger couldn't believe the look of absolute anger than came across the boy's face.

"We gotta let them go, because if we don't my friend could die,"

"Die?" Robin looked unsure of the situation.

"Yes," It was James who spoke up this time, and his voice was cold and quiet, "But if I do die, it would be my own fault. This is none of anyone's business other than mine and Len's. Leave it, Digger. You don't want to be caught in this,"

"Oh, but I do," The Australian's voice was dark, and his glare had intensified, "Len is my friend, and you're basically his son. I am _not _letting him kill you,"

"Want a fucking bet?" This was said so quietly that nobody but Connor heard, and the clone didn't plan on crossing the blonde. He looked dangerous enough without being angry.

**This shall be the end of this chapter. I'm back in Australia now, and I'm absolutely ****_hating _****the heat.**


	8. Chapter 8

**My new shoes literally ripped apart the skin on my feet, leaving them a bloody mess. It's absolutely lovely! **

**Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I'll make one excuse: I hate parties. They make me stressed, and they make me feel ill, and they just make me feel horrible. **

**Anyway, on with the story, I guess… I feel really bad for James and Len. I'm making such horrible things happen to them!**

The trip home for Digger and James was awkward at the very best. The teenager sulked, glaring out the window, and Digger frantically called Piper, asking whether they were staying with Linda or not. When he found out that they were, he gave a relieved smile and bypassed the turn-off which would take them home.

"Where are we going?" James asked, confused.

"You didn't think I'd let you stay with Len, did you?" Digger asked, "I'm not having either of you die,"

"Len wouldn't die," The blonde mumbled, "It'd only be me, and that's okay. I deserve it,"

Digger felt a sharp pang of guilt, which quickly turned into rage, "Why do you think that?" He hissed, "You're a kid. You should be playing, and carefree – Not claiming that you need to die for nothing,"

"But all I do is cause problems," James whispered, drawing up his knees to his chin, "I make Len spend money that we don't have, and because of me, he doesn't have a girlfriend or anything,"

"That ain't your fault, kid," Digger laughed, "Len just isn't a ladies' man,"

"But –"

"No 'buts', James," The Australian sighed, "You're going to stay with Linda and Barry for a little while, okay?"

The boy looked heartbroken, and Digger knew that he couldn't do anything to help it.

"Listen, Piper and Wally'll be there to keep an eye on you, so it won't be too bad, right?"

A sob came from the teenager, "I want Daddy," The whine was so quiet that Digger could barely hear it. He reached over and rubbed the boy's knee.

"You'll see him later, I'm sure,"

Iris started fussing over James as soon as he arrived.

"Oh, James! What have you done now?"

She gripped the boy in a tight hug and after letting him go, grabbed his hand.

"We're going to have a full house – What'll I do? Two speedsters, three teenage boys, two criminals –"

"Rogues," Digger automatically corrected.

"Fine, two rogues. How will I get anything done?"

"I'll help," James whispered, as the reporter dragged him upstairs.

Iris smiled at the boy, "Oh, James. I was just kidding – You don't need to do anything,"

"But I can't just do _nothing_," He protested, "I can't let you do _all _the work,"

The woman sent a confused look to Digger, who just shook his head. He looked at her and mouthed the word 'later'.

"Okay, Hon," She soothed, "I'll set you up with some chores, then,"

James, who was close to hysterics, nodded and continued following. They arrived at the 'guest bedroom', which had been adopted by Wally. Two spare mattresses had been set up on the floor and Piper was putting bed-sheets on them.

"Hey, Mrs West-Allen," The boy chirped, "Hi James!"

"Hartley, you almost set up here?" Iris asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Piper smiled politely, "But can you please call me Piper?"

The boy looked slightly upset when Iris shook her head and laughed, but quickly shrugged it off as he went to hug his friend.

"James," He whispered, as he pulled his friend close, "I need to tell you something. Can we talk later?"

"You two'll have plenty of time to talk later. Wally should be home any minute, so I need you two to come down and get some food before he gets here,"

"Why do they have to eat before Wally gets here?" Digger was confused.

Iris laughed again before explaining, "I take it you've never had the pleasure of watching a speedster eat?"

"No," The Australian approached cautiously, "Why?"

"The high metabolism means that they need more sustenance than most people. In other words, he eats pretty much everything in sight,"

"Ah,"

"Well?" Piper jumped in-between the two adults, "Let's eat,"

"You're happy today," Digger pondered, "What happened?"

The boy hummed, "Nothing in particular,"

"Okay, then," The man smiled down, "I'm gunna head home and check on everybody else. You two be good, right?"

"Yes, Digger," James and Piper chorused, and all four made their way downstairs.

After waving Digger off, Iris led the boys into the kitchen, where three medium-sized bowls of spaghetti awaited them. Two massive bowls sat on the bench, but those remained untouched until Wally and Barry got home.

Iris sat across from James and Piper, and the three of them tucked in. At first, the small blonde was hesitant to eat, but once he started he found it hard to stop. Unfortunately, after having limited food for six months, James' stomach was not used to having so much in it.

The three finished their meal, and sat in the living room watching TV.

"I thought you said Wally would be home soon," Piper inquired, "Is he usually this late?" The clock was displaying that it was twelve past ten.

"No," The woman replied, and Piper could see that she looked worried, "Usually Barry makes sure that Wally's home before ten,"

James wasn't paying attention to the conversation; He held his stomach tightly and willed the ache to go away.

Iris stood up and started pacing, "Would you like anything?" She asked, "Coffee? Tea? Hot cocoa?"

"No, thank you," Piper smiled politely, "James?" He asked.

Piper frowned, seeing his friend. The blonde's face was pale and sweaty, and he was cringing.

"Hey, James," The red-haired boy jumped over, "What's wrong?"

"Have you had your meds tonight, James?" Iris asked, coming over, "Are you feeling sick?"

The boy curled up into a small ball and shook his head. A small, broken sob escaped him, and he quietly said, "I want Daddy,"

"Oh, I know you do," Iris cooed, "I'm sure you'll get to see him eventually,"

"I'll get his meds," Piper whispered in Iris' ears, and ran up to the bedroom to get the small bottle.

Iris put her arms around the sobbing boy's small body, "You can't be feeling this bad just because you miss Len. What else is wrong, kiddo?"

And James promptly threw up all over her.

"You could have told me you were feeling bad, Honey," Iris said, "I could have given you something for your tummy. Now open wide," She ordered James.

He opened his mouth and she slipped in a spoonful of oil.

"That should help your tummy feel better, okay? Now, you need to take your meds, and then I want you in bed,"

Piper had already gone to the bedroom and settled down for the night. James wouldn't refuse.

He gave a shaky nod, and stood up.

"Here you go," Iris smiled, handing the boy a glass of water and two pills.

James downed them, and walked along the corridor to the bedroom he was to share with his two friends.

He pushed open the door and saw Piper sitting up in bed, his long hair tied into a ponytail.

"Hey, James," The musician looked up to greet him, "Get into your PJs. I need to tell you something important,"

"Mm," The Italian hummed, and he walked over to a bright yellow bag, "These mine?"

"Yep. I just grabbed some random stuff, hope you don't mind it,"

"Nah, it's cool,"

James had already been stripped of his shirt and pants, which were covered in vomit, so all he had to do was pull his pyjamas on. He stepped into a pair of bright orange flannel pants, and grabbed a bright green tank top from the bag.

"So, what do you need to tell me?"

Piper giggled gleefully, "I have a boyfriend,"

The blonde stopped getting dressed and stared at his friend for a little while.

"What?" Piper asked, when James gave no reaction.

"You're gay?"

"Well, yeah… Didn't you know?"

"You never told me,"

"You didn't ask. It was never exactly a secret,"

"Whatever you say," James muttered, "So who is he? Do I know him?"

"Kind of," Piper smiled, "It's Robin,"

"Robin? As in 'Batman and Robin'? That Robin?"

Again, Piper smiled awkwardly, "That's the one,"

"You're a fucking nuthouse, Piper. A _fucking _nuthouse,"

**I'm going to leave this chapter here… Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. I'm working on three fics at the same time, and you can go and check out ****_Parenting Techniques _****now if you'd like. It's my longest so far, this coming a close second.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, I've had an anonymous request to do some things, which shall happen… soon enough. I've managed to pick up ****_another _****babysitting job, so I'm trying to figure out how this'll work once school starts again.**

**I present to you another chapter… Finally. I have people asking me to update several stories at once, so I'm trying to balance them all… This one seems to be losing.**

**This is keeping me up late, because I PROMISED that I would have a new chapter up today. It has little to do with the long-term story idea, but it's something kind of… very angsty. It's more of a 'this story is getting darker and my imagination won't let me change it' kind of thing.**

Wally West was exceedingly happy in the morning, after finding out that not one, but _two _of his best friends were going to be staying over indefinitely; Obviously not paying attention to the fact that it was one of said friends' suicidal tendencies that was making them stay there.

"Wally," Iris groaned, "It's too early for this,"

"What do you mean, 'too early'? It's, like, six-forty, Aunt Iris! You're sometimes at work by now,"

The reporter chuckled, "I know, Wally, but I was up till three waiting for you and Barry to get home. Speaking of Barry," She asked, "Where is he?"

"I 'unno," The speedster shrugged, and then raced into the kitchen, mumbling something about food.

Just as Iris was starting to enjoy the peace again, she heard a shuffling coming from the doorway. She looked up and saw James' head peeking around the doorframe.

"Hey, James," She smiled, "Sleep well?"

The boy looked like a deer caught in headlights, his eyes wide. He silently shook his head and ran back upstairs.

Iris shook her head and got up, walking into the kitchen, "Hey, Wally," She called, "Put on some coffee for your aged aunt,"

"Yes, ma'am,"

Piper was a bit surprised when James had run in on him getting dressed. He was even more surprised when the blonde had leapt at him, tackling him to the floor.

"James," He yelled, "James, get off,"

The blonde boy didn't budge, and Piper made to push him off, but the boy growled as soon as he lifted his arms.

"Don't," James' voice was dark, and Piper's eyes widened.

He opened his mouth and screamed.

Linda heard the shriek and ran upstairs quickly, only to find James holding a pillow over the red-head's face.

She ran over quickly and pulled James off, delivering a smack to the boy's bottom as she did so. Turning away from the Italian boy, she went and helped Piper to his feet.

"Hartley," She worried, "Are you alright?"

Tears were streaming down the boy's face, but he was silent.

"Oh, Hartley," Iris wrapped her arms around the boy, "You poor, poor thing,"

James stood on the other side of the room, angrily glaring at nothing. It was disconcerting, and Iris hurried Piper out of the room, whispering to him to go and get Barry.

Piper quickly obliged, running to the couples' room. Iris turned to James and walked over to him slowly, making sure that she was directly in front of him before approaching. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and tried to make him respond.

"James," She said quietly, looking directly at his eyes, "James, can you please look at me?"

The boy's eyes didn't change at all.

"Trickster?" She asked, concernedly.

His eyes gave a flash, and he turned to her, his eyes dark and menacing.

"Take your hands off me," He rasped, pushing the woman back. Barry ran in and caught her, eyeing the teenager darkly.

"James, what the _fuck_?" He spat, helping his wife out of the room. He slammed the door shut, and turned back to James.

"Not James," The blonde muttered darkly, "Trickster,"

"What are you doing, James?" The hero asked, eyeing the child wearily, "You need your meds," he finally decided, "Stay here, and I'll go –"

"No," Trickster roared, "You will not. I do _not _need medication – What I _need _is my father,"

"Your _father_," Barry spat out the word as if it were poison, "Doesn't even _want _you,"

James' eyes widened, and he took a step back, "Doesn't want me?' He asked timidly.

"Yeah, that's fucking right. _He _doesn't want you, so you've been passed on to us,"

The boy dropped to the floor, and Iris knocked at the door. Barry opened it and took a bottle of pills from her, walking over to James, who was now sobbing.

"I'm sorry, James," He whispered quietly, "I'm so, _so _sorry,"

And he slipped the pills into the boy's mouth, and held him until he fell asleep.

**Well… That was… Um… I don't know what that was.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Anyway, on with… stuff. **

The red-head squirmed as his uncle's hand came down, _Smack_.

Finally, it was over. The tears were still streaming down Wally's face, but he was soon quieted, Barry pulling him into his chest and soothing him.

It had been a long day after the incident that morning, but after James' outburst, it hadn't taken long for Wally to begin acting out.

First, he had misbehaved at the mountain. Barry had asked him to take Piper along, so that he and Iris could deal with James. Upon arriving, Wally had pretended that Piper was holding him hostage, and so, for the second time that day, Piper had found himself under attack. Luckily, Robin broke everything up, but Hartley was rattled all the same.

Iris had come to the cave and picked him up from outside, where he was shivering in Clark's arms.

He had then decided not to come back before curfew – Being a hero, this meant that it worried his family deeply; Particularly Barry, who was tied up at work and couldn't go out looking for him.

When the boy had come home at nine-thirty, Iris had been standing by the door, waiting for him. She quickly grabbed him by the ear and yanked him into the living room.

"Where in the _hell_ have you been?" She shrieked, "I've been worried sick! You didn't tell anyone where you were going, you were out past curfew, then you just waltz in here like nothing's wrong?"

"Woah, jeez," The boy scrambled away from his aunt, "Aunt Iris, calm down,"

"Calm down? Wally –"

The door opened and a frantic Barry sped into the room. Upon seeing Wally against the wall, his eyes narrowed.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, Kid," He growled, and within a few seconds, Wally found himself stripped and over his Uncle's knee. Iris looked at the two for a moment, and left the room.

That was how they found themselves in this position.

"Now, Wally," Barry said, "You're normally a good kid, but today you were misbehaving. Wanna tell me why?"

The younger speedster sniffled and, much to Barry's disgust, wiped his nose on the blonde man's shirt, "I d – I didn't m-mean an-nything by it, I just –" Wally let out a wail and cuddled back into Barry.

"Hey, Wally," The man stood, keeping a tight hold of his nephew, "I'm not mad, okay? I just want to know what's wrong,"

Wally gave another sniff, "Well-well James was being mean this morning, and I wanted to make Hartley laugh, and so I pretended that he was attacking me, and he started laughing, right? And then we got into the cave, and everyone thought he was _really _attacking me, and so they all jumped at him, and I –"

Barry tightened his grip on the teenager and let the boy keep on crying, "Okay, Kid," He soothed, "You were just trying to be nice to your friend. I know,"

Eventually, Wally calmed down and Barry placed the boy's feet on the floor.

"You hungry?" He asked, giving his nephew a tickle.

Wally giggled and nodded, and the two went into the kitchen. Iris had evidently been expecting this, as there was a large spread of food on the table.

As the two speedsters ate, a thought came to Wally.

"Hey, Uncle Barry," He approached cautiously, "What happened with James?"

Barry's eyes darkened, "He's gone to stay with someone else," The man said, trying desperately to ignore the heartbroken look on Wally's face.

"Where is he? Can I visit him? Is he o –"

"Leave it," Barry barked, causing Wally to jump. The boy was hurt, and before Barry could say anything else, he ran up the stairs, "Stupid kids," The blonde muttered, and put his head in his hands.

James sobbed quietly, alone in the living room. He couldn't remember what he'd done, but it must have been terrible – Iris didn't want to get anywhere near him, and Piper ran out of the room whenever he entered.

He felt upset and lonely.

After a few hours, and a few dozen phone calls, Iris had arranged for one of the rogues to come and get him. Digger had arrived at about noon, and had helped Iris pack away James' things, while softly explaining to the boy that he'd had a breakdown and was coming to stay with the Australian for a while.

"Hey, Mate," Said a voice from the doorway. James turned and saw Digger standing there, arms outstretched in a welcoming manner, "Need a hug?"

The young blonde was quick to oblige, throwing himself at the older man before breaking down into hysterics.

"Okay, Mate," Digger attempted to calm the boy unsuccessfully, "What happened ain't your fault,"

"B-b-Barry said," James hiccoughed, "H-he said that-that Daddy doesn't want me anymore," The boy turned his watery eyes up to Digger's face, hoping for some sort of sign to say that the speedster was wrong. He didn't get it.

Digger looked away from the young blonde in his arms, and sighed deeply.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this, kid," He said, "But your Daddy really _doesn't _want you back,"

James leant heavily on Digger for support, clutching to the man's shirt like a lifeline.

He sobbed loudly and heavily, until eventually he tired himself out and fell into a fitful sleep.

It was about three in the morning when Digger was rudely awoken by screams from the living room. He rubbed his eyes and shuffled in, not prepared for what he was about to see.

Len knelt in front of the fold out couch, his arms outstretched, and the screams grew quiet.

"Oh my God, you _idiot_," Digger roared, and ran at the man, "What the fuck have you done?"

He threw a punch which landed on Len's left temple with a sickening _crack_.

"Fuck," Digger swore, "What the bloody hell were you thinking, mate?"

Len jumped at his friend, tackling him to the ground and beat at the man's face before being pushed off and thrown over the bed.

Digger leapt over the folded-out bed which held a barely-breathing James. He landed just next to Len, who turned and sunk his teeth into the Australian's bare foot.

The man swore, and turned to his friend, whose teeth were drawing blood, "Get the _fuck _off me, mate," He kicked and Len's teeth let go, as he was pushed backwards into the television.

Len stood up shakily and shook his head from side to side, getting his bearings, then ran straight at Digger, who jumped out of the way and let Len run head-first into the wall. Len fell to the floor, and Digger first made sure that he was unconscious before walking over to the bed.

"Christ almighty*," The Australian swore, looking down on the bed. James lay there, his throat bruised and swollen, fingermarks adorning either side, "Struth**, we need to get you to hospital, kid,"

He picked up the boy and carried him out the door, completely forgetting that he was in absolutely nothing.

**Thought I'd add that last bit in, y'know…? Just for a little bit of humour. That was my first time writing a fight-scene, and I'm not very happy about it, but feel free to let me know how it was. If anyone has any pointers, I'd be happy to hear them.**

**Forgot to do this:**

*** 'Christ almighty' may not seem like it, but is actually pretty common in Australia (from my experience, anyway)**

**** 'Struth' is even more common, though mainly among farmers and others who live in bushy areas. I always imagined Digger as living in one of those neighbourhoods where they play out on the streets and go out catching snakes for fun...**

**I hope you guys are having an excellent weekend, by the way.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I am suddenly motivated to work on this story… Not that I wasn't before, it's just… Now I really want to get going with it – The story is intriguing; Really, it is. I'm just having a difficult time getting going with it. I hope that you all stick around until it's done, though!**

**With the rate I'm going at, there will probably be at least (if not more than) five more chapters, but who knows?**

James' eyes fluttered open, and he was surprised to find himself in a white room. He went to get up, but was brought back down by an ache in his throat.

"Ouch," He croaked, and a figure on the other side of the room jumped.

Digger turned around and saw James moving on the bed, "Hey, Mate," He said quietly, walking over with a glass of water, "You're up. That's good,"

"What happened?" Asked the young blonde, before he downed the water greedily, "Why does my neck hurt?"

The Australian sat and thought for a moment, milling over how to explain to the boy that his 'Daddy' had tried to kill him the night before. Luckily, he was distracted from that by a different question.

"Where am I?"

"What do you mean?" Digger was slightly dumbfounded; James had been in hospital many times before, "You're in hospital,"

"Why?" James looked innocently up at his companion, "Why am I in hospital? I don't like hospitals,"

Digger watched in shock for a moment, before realising that the boy was working himself into a hysterical state. Not wanting to have to deal with tears again, he quickly tried to distract the boy, "Hey, James," He lightened his voice, "Why don't we play a game, eh? To get your mind off things,"

James sniffed quietly and nodded.

"What do you want to play, kiddo?" The man prompted.

"I dunno,"

"How about we play…" Digger looked nervously around the room. Eye spy was out, and so was anything involving running around. He suddenly remembered a game from his childhood, and inwardly groaned. It would have to do, "How about we play patty-cake?"

Slightly confused, James gave a hesitant nod, and Digger started the game.

"Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man," He clapped hands with James, who looked thoroughly confused, "Bake me a cake as fast as you can,"

It had been thirty-six years since Digger had played the game, but he could remember it as though he'd last played it yesterday.

James, on the other hand, had never played before, and copied Digger's actions as quickly as he could. After two or three tries, he started mumbling the words along, and after around half an hour of playing, he was getting quite good at it. Digger had become bored quickly, but was determined to keep on playing for James' sake.

Hartley was at Mount Justice with the team, and he was standing in front of a very flustered M'Gann, who had been apologising constantly for the past ten minutes. Kaldur's apology had been quick and simple, Connor's non-existent.

"I'm _so_, so sorry," She bowed her head.

"It's okay," Piper replied for the fifth time, "Really. You don't have to keep on apologising,"

The Martian stood back upright and smiled at the red-head, "I'm sorry," She said one last time, and Hartley smiled.

"So, what are you guys up to today?" Hartley addressed the rest of the team, "Training?"

"Batman's making us do more 'team bonding exercises'," Connor growled, "Why can't he just give us a mission?"

Piper frowned for a second, before a cheeky smile grew on his face, "How about we play a game?"

"What kind of game?" Artemis asked from the couch, intrigued.

"It's a game the Rogues play*," He explained, "We all separate into teams of two or three, and then, using our powers or tools, we try to trap the other teams. No hurting people," He added quickly, "Just trapping them,"

"Sounds fun," Came a snicker from the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at the Boy Wonder, who was eating a banana, "It's, like, a fighting exercise, a team bonding exercise, and a game, all in one!"

Hartley giggled, "So, does everyone wanna play?"

Nods of the head were given, as well as a grunt that could either have been a 'no' or a 'yes' from Connor, then everyone started splitting into teams. Zatanna tried to get to Dick, but was disappointed when she saw the Boy Wonder standing with Piper. She quickly grew furious, however, when she saw him holding hands with the red-head.

She was distracted by a hand grabbing her wrist, "Hey, Zee," She turned to see Kid Flash, "Artemis is teamed up with Rocket, and Kaldur's decided to be judge because we're an odd number. Wanna be my partner?"

Zatanna gave a sly smile and replied, "I'd _love _to, Wally,"

The freckled boy smiled back at her gleefully, and everyone turned to each-other.

"Ready," Kaldur said, "Set… and _go_," He cried, and everybody rushed from the room, leaving the Atlantean on his own. The dark boy sighed, and grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen.

Zatanna and Wally had hunkered down in one of the spare rooms, reserved for Leaguers or metas with no other place to go. They were plotting a course of action, when Zatanna suddenly leaned over and kissed the speedster.

Wally spluttered and pushed the girl away, glaring at her angrily before shouting, "What the hell was that?"

"I thought you liked me, Wally?" The girl pouted, "I thought you wanted to be with me,"

"No," The boy cried, "I like you, Zatanna, but as a friend. I'm with Artemis,"

"But," Fake tears pooled in the girl's eyes, and Wally knew that he shouldn't, but felt guilty about it, "But I thought-I thought you would understand,"

"Understand _what_?"

Suddenly, a rope tied around the two, pulling them right next to each-other, and a note pierced through the air. Piper and Robin had managed to trap them.

"Shit," Wally swore, as Zatanna started to rub against him.

She giggled, and Wally squirmed uncomfortably, "And now you can't help but stay with me,"

_Help me_, Wally silently prayed, as he desperately tried to ignore the girl.

After a few hours, Robin and Piper won the game, and they went around freeing everybody. The team walked in to the room where Zatanna and Wally had been trapped, and found Zatanna draped all over the red-head, panting heavily. She blushed when she realised they'd come in, and Wally quickly cried out for help.

"You've gotta get her off me," He sobbed, "Help,"

Artemis looked on in shock and disgust, and saw Zatanna give her an evil grin, then ran from the room sobbing.

"Arty, wait," Wally yelled after being released from the rope, he tried to use his superspeed to chase after her, but found himself slowed down, "What?"

"Sorry about that," Hartley apologised sheepishly, "I managed to find a note that can slow you down**. It was an experiment this time, but at least it worked,"

Wally sent his friend a dirty glare, and ran from the room, arriving in the main hall just after the computer announced, "_Recognised: Artemis B08_***,"

"Shit," The boy swore, and sat down on the floor.

Hartley and Wally walked slowly along the street, Wally occasionally kicking things and swearing.

"What happened?" Hartley asked, looking at Wally concernedly, "I thought you were in love with Artemis. I didn't think you'd cheat on her,"

"I didn't," The speedster growled angrily, "She came onto me, and then you tied us together and she started…" He shuddered, "_Humping _me,"

"I'm sorry," The rogue apologised, and he wrapped his arms around his friend, "Oh my God, Wally, I'm so sorry,"

"I don't even know why she did it," Wally continued, "I thought she was over the break-up with Rob,"

Hartley was surprised, "Wait," He said, "Robin dated Zatanna?"

"Yeah. They were together for a while before Robin discovered he was gay," Wally laughed, "Then, when Rob first broke up with her, everyone thought _I _was dating him,"

"You?" The older teen snorted, "Seriously?"

Wally nodded, "Yup," He jumped over a large crack in the pavement, "It made things super-awkward in the team for a while,"

"So, what're you going to do?" Hartley asked, "Your girlfriend thinks you're cheating on her – With your best friend's ex, I might add,"

"I…" Wally started to speak, then he sighed, "I really don't know,"

Tears welled up in his eyes, and Wally started sobbing in the middle of the street.

**So… I wasn't planning on that happening for a while, but it did. That was an idea given to me by somebody who wishes to remain anonymous, and you can all thank her for that little complicated bit. **

**I'd better go and work on ****_Parenting Techniques _****for a little bit, before my followers over there start to accuse me of neglect.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Now, on with the story. I was thinking about the last chapter, and decided that I wanted to go on and make it a sort of… arc. This is going to be focusing on Damian's self-esteem issues more than anything, as well as on Dick's problems with Bruce.**

**This is my most popular story, and I am ever so grateful to you guys for reading it, and sticking with it.**

**And remember: No matter how cute it gets, you are absolutely NOT allowed to die from cuteness overload. You hear me?**

Bruce hung his head, completely and totally worn. The meeting that Dick had unexpectedly left had turned into a battle between the women in the room. For whatever reason, the young man had a certain soothing quality about him which applied to women in particular. Women and Damian.

"Hey, Bruce," Said man laughed, walking into the kitchen, "How was the meeting?"

"I'm not sure whether to tell you about how awful it was, how violent it was, or how scary it was," Bruce replied sullenly.

Dick stared at Bruce for a moment before bursting out into a fir of giggles, "What happened?" he cackled.

"Clark heard you and commented that you were too young to be 'acting Daddy', then Diana sort of… Well… You know how she gets,"

"Ah,"

"And then it broke out into a bit of a fight,"

"Ah," Dick looked at the ground, "Okay. I'm not sure if this is a good time to mention this, but I feel like I need to; Damian's getting bullied. I've managed to calm him down enough to tell me what's going on, but he needs a lot of support, Bruce," He looked his adopted father in the eye, "You need to start helping him out,"

Bruce glared, "How can _I _help him? I hardly had a normal childhood. I wouldn't know what to do,"

"And you think I did?"

"I didn't mean it like –"

"Didn't mean it like what, Bruce?" Dick roared, "You died, and I was left guardian to a ten-year-old who is more screwed up than Jason and myself put together –"

There was a gasp from the doorway, and both men turned to see Damian standing there, wrapped in his blanket. He stood there silently for a few seconds before turning and running away.

"Shit," Dick swore, "Damian," He ran to the spot where the boy had disappeared from.

Bruce stood where he was, dumbfounded.

Small feet padded against the hard flooring as Damian ran. He didn't know where he was going to go, nor did he realise what he was doing. But he couldn't stop hearing Dick's words in his ears, _'I was left… more screwed up than Jason…'_

He tried to blink back the tears, but found that he couldn't. He suddenly felt himself lifted and turned his head to see Dick holding him.

"No," He cried, and squirmed, trying to get out of the man's grip, "No!"

"Calm down, Damian," Dick shushed the boy, "Calm down. You didn't hear everything,"

The boy kicked blindly, and managed to hit Dick's nose. It bent back with a _crack_, and Damian sped off once more. Dick knelt down and felt the lump.

He winced in pain, and deciding that Damian wasn't going to leave the house, went to find Alfred.

Bruce eventually found himself headed out of the kitchen, in search of his young son.

"Damian," He called, "Where are you?"

Not that he hadn't had experience in searching for little Robins, but he hadn't ever had to find _this one_. He knew all of the others' hiding places; Dick would climb to the highest point, Jason would go into the darkest spot he could find, and Tim would lock himself in a cupboard. But he didn't know where Damian would disappear to.

First, he headed up to the boy's bedroom. He surveyed it quickly before dismissing it as the hiding place; An open packet of goodnites was half-hidden under the bed, and checking the time, Bruce deemed it a good idea to take one with him. It was past ten at night, and Damian should have been in bed two hours ago.

He quickly left the room and headed to his previous sons' hiding places. First, he tried the lockable cupboards. No Damian.

Then, he tried to find the darkest spot in the house, but that seemed to be something that only Jason had the skills to do.

Next, he climbed. He got out onto the roof, and headed for the top, but still, no Damian could be found.

He was about to give up, and started walking back to Damian's bedroom, when he heard a shower running in one of the bathrooms. He knew that Dick was being treated by Alfred (besides which, he'd showered earlier in the evening), and cautiously knocked on the door. No response.

So, he kicked it open, and walked over to the shower. He pulled back the curtain to reveal a fully clothed Damian sobbing under the running water.

"Damian," Bruce said sternly, "Get out,"

The boy shook his head, and curled up into a small ball.

"Get out," The man shouted, and he leant in, yanking Damian out roughly.

The child squirmed and shouted as Bruce dragged him over to the towel rack and stripped him, grumbling under his breath about bratty, screwed-up kids.

Rubbing the now-naked child down roughly with a towel, Bruce heard soft sniffles in his ear.

He looked at Damian's face, and was shocked to see tears dripping down both cheeks.

Bruce sighed, "Damian, Dick didn't mean that he didn't want or like you,"

The boy hiccoughed, "B-but he said –"

"I know what he said. He was angry at me,"

"Why?"

The man had to think on that for a moment, "He doesn't think that I'm a good enough father to you,"

"Why?"

"That's enough questions out of you," Bruce growled playfully, tickling his son. The boy giggled a bit, and Bruce said, "Now, let's get you into this goodnite, and then into bed,"

The boy's smile faded, and he pouted at Bruce, "No,"

"No?"

"No," Damian's pout became a glare, "No. I don't need it,"

Bruce snorted, "Given the state of your bed-sheets, I'd say you do,"

The boy sniffled, and Bruce realised his mistake, but before he could do anything, his face met with Damian's foot.

"Don't need it!" The boy shrieked, and he started hitting Bruce over and over, "Don't need it! No! Nonononono,"

"Damian," Bruce shouted, "Stop!"

The man stood and picked up his son, "That's enough," Bruce wasn't shouting. His voice was icy cold, and he pulled Damian by the scruff of his neck to the toilet.

"Over my knee," He ordered sharply.

Damian looked at the man nervously, but at a sharp glare from Bruce, quickly obliged.

_Smack_, Bruce's hand came down without warning, and Damian cried out in pain, _Smack, smack, smack_.

"Richard told me that I should only smack you ten times, so consider yourself lucky,"

Damian squirmed and kicked a bit more, trying to get away, _Smack_.

_Smack, smack, smack_.

"Two more, now," Bruce's voice was calmer, and he kissed the top of the boy's head, _Smack, smack_.

It was over. Bruce picked up his son and cradled him in his arms for a few seconds before reaching over and picking up the goodnite. He stood the boy up and slipped on the garment, earning a reproachful glare from Damian.

"I know you don't like it," The man couldn't help but chuckle, "But it's better than waking up wet every morning, isn't it?"

Sullenly Damian nodded, and Bruce stood to leave, but stopped when he saw Damian holding his arms out.

"What?"

The boy flushed, and fumbled for a moment.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

Damian nodded, trying not to seem eager about it, but smiled in delight when his father lifted him up.

"I love you, Father," He whispered quietly.

"I love you, too, Damian,"

**I need to thank you guys! I'm enjoying some of the ideas that you're giving me. If anyone has a request, feel free to drop me a line.**

**Also, I recently designed a Captain Cold Tee, and I'm working on the rest of the Flash Rogues, but if anyone has an idea for a shirt that they'd like, feel free to tell me.**


	13. Chapter 13

**So, I have been given a great multitude of ideas for the future, and I am thoroughly confused as to how they will happen…**

**I shall give it my best shot, though!**

While it had only been three days, James felt like he'd been in hospital for at least a month. The food was bland, the bed was uncomfortable, and the people were _bo_-ring. Luckily, he'd been visited by his friends the day before, and had spent ten minutes harassing Piper over his love life while Wally (slowly) went to the bathroom.

Now, however, visiting hours had been over for two hours, and sleep just wasn't coming. He'd been tossing and turning for almost the entire time, but no position was comfortable, and eventually he gave up.

Sighing, he got out of bed and moved into the corridor, looking both ways to make sure that no nurses were coming his way. Quickly deciding that it was safe, he snuck a small bottle out of his overnight bag and rushed down to the staff bathroom.

The staff bathroom is bigger than any of the patients', mainly because it needed to fit more people in. James walked over to the sink, and got to work.

"You _what_?" Digger roared, standing over the young teenager.

"I told you," James sighed, as if explaining something to a two-year-old, "I dyed it,"

The Australian stood still for a few moments, contemplating what the boy had said. He stayed silent for a while, until he went red in the face and yelled again, "Why the _fuck _would you want to do that?"

James stared at the older man as if he were crazy, "Um, because it's cool,"

"It is not cool to have pink _fucking _hair!"

"It is, too," The boy childishly pouted, "Besides, it looks good,"

Digger sighed, giving up, "Fine," He said, "Have gay-ass fucking hair. I don't care,"

"Don't say it like that,"

"Like what?"

"Don't use the word 'gay' like that,"

"Why the fuck not?"

James looked at Digger incredulously, "'Cause Piper's gay,"

"Piper's what now?"

Both Digger and James turned to the door where Mark had stuck his head in.

"Sorry to disturb your argument," He said, "Hey, nice hair! Now, what were you saying about Piper?"

"He's gay," James said bluntly, and Mark's jaw dropped a fraction.

"You know, I don't think Hartley'd appreciate you spreading rumours about him. Particularly ones like that," Digger scolded.

"But it's true," The boy whined, blue eyes filling with tears, "He told me! He even has a boyfriend,"

Digger and Mark eyed each-other wearily, "We'll talk about this later," said Digger in a strained voice, "Would you like it if I went and got some hot chocolate?"

In an instant, James' tears were gone and he smiled brightly up at Digger, "Can I have marshmallows in it?" He begged.

"I don't see why not," The Australian laughed, "I'll be back in a few, 'kay?"

"Come back soon,"

"Yeah, yeah,"

And with that, Mark and James were left alone.

"So," Mark asked hesitantly, "What do you do for fun around here?"

"We…" James thought for a moment, before he started listing everything that he and Digger had done together happily. Mark sat back and listened to the boy go on, and smiled, relieved that his friend was feeling better than he had been a few months previous.

When Wally and Piper went back to the mountain and the team, they'd expected everyone to be acting normally – Or at least, to be ignoring what had happened.

Neither of them had expected to be attacked.

Wally was immediately grabbed by Zatanna and magicked to another room, and Piper was captured by a net-arrow and pulled away by Artemis. Nobody else seemed to be there, though who could tell when it came to Robin?

Zatanna tied Wally down to a chair using her magic and straddled him, causing him to blanche.

"Please get off me," He grimaced, "Please,"

The girl laughed, "No. Fucking. Way,"

"Oh, God,"

"Ha, I thought you didn't believe in God,"

"I don't," The red-head squirmed, "It's an expression. Now get the _fuck _off me! Why are you even doing this?"

Zatanna's eyes narrowed, and she glared down at Wally, "It's your fault my boyfriend turned gay. You're going to pay for that,"

"What!?"

"You heard me,"

"Oh, I know I did," Wally laughed, "You really think _I _turned Robin gay? Really?"

"Yes, I think you turned him gay," She hissed, becoming angry at Wally's laughter, "And I want you to make up for i –"

Wally laughed even harder, "How?" He asked, "How am I supposed to make up for my best friend being gay?"

"By being with _me_," She smiled cruelly, and Wally, not being able to get away, was engulfed in a pale light.

Piper found himself thrust into a corner and he whimpered – He'd been attacked enough times in the past week by people he thought of as friends that it was understandable for him to think that everyone was against him.

"Okay, why are you wand Wally so chummy?" The archer asked, marching over to Hartley, "I mean, where did you even come from? You're a villain, you shouldn't be here,"

"Rogue," Piper barely whispered, "I'm not a villain. I'm a rogue. I do good, too,"

"Good? You're not good," Artemis spat on Hartley, and the boy flushed angrily.

"Like you can talk, _Crock_," He spat the girl's name with disgust, "I know what your family's like. You know nothing about me,"

The blonde growled darkly, "Fuck you,"

Hartley giggled, "You really can't think of anything better?"

"Shut the _fuck _up," Artemis moaned, and she kicked Piper in the face, "I was going to be nice, but you're so _fucking _annoying," Another kick, "What. Do. You. Know. About. My. Boyfriend?" She accentuated each word with either a kick or a punch, and Hartley did his best to stay silent for each one.

It was harder to stay silent, however, when she kicked him in a very sensitive area, "Fuck," He hissed, as his manhood was crushed under the girl's heavy boot.

"Ready to talk?"

"No,"

Artemis went in for one last kick, but was cut off by a batarang and found herself on the other end of the room.

"You don't touch him," Robin hissed, walking over and helping his boyfriend up, "You okay, babe?"

The red-head nodded quietly, giving Robin a quick kiss, "My hero," He smiled faintly.

Robin laughed, "Love you,"

**So… that's it for now. Next time; What's Zatanna done to Wally? What will Len think of James' new look? And what is Iris cooking for dinner? (But probably not the last one)**


	14. Author's Note

**Just a little note here;**

**I know that I've told some people that I would update within about a week. I'm sorry that I haven't. I've just finished my first week of year 11, and I'm swamped with HEAPS of assignments and essays already. I'm writing in my spare time, but won't be able to update as frequently as I was over the Summer.**

**Sorry for that.**

**Anyway, if anybody has a request for any stories or artworks, feel free to PM me or leave something in a review. I usually try and take the time to respond, so don't be shy!**

**Also, I made a sale on RedBubble this morning. I'm very flattered, and very happy. **

**Cheers,**

IanP


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